STOUGHTON, Mass. — A Stoughton family says they waited nine months to receive a loved one’s cremated remains after his funeral, finally getting them back the same day 25 Investigates began asking questions.
Kimberly Margolis remembers her brother, Stephen Margolis, known as “Taz,” as someone who lived life to the fullest.
“Everything was the fastest cars, the fastest motorcycles. He had an excavation company that he grew from a small business my dad had given him,” Margolis said.
She said her brother was larger than life but struggled for years with substance use disorder.
“It’s been an uphill battle, it’s been a tough battle for a lot of years,” Margolis said.
Stephen Margolis died in November 2025 after years of struggling with substance abuse disorder.
According to his family, they contracted with Sheehan Funeral Home in Stoughton for a wake and funeral service. Afterward, Stephen’s remains were to be cremated.
The family said they made it through the holidays and then began calling the funeral home in early 2026 to ask about receiving his cremated remains.
“Do you have my brother’s ashes? It was always, oh, I’ll call you at the end of the week. I’ll you at end of week. I’ll I call you the end week,” Margolis said.
Margolis and her brother told 25 Investigates they repeatedly contacted the funeral home but felt they were being put off and could not understand the delay.
Their concern grew because they wanted Stephen buried alongside their parents.
“He was supposed to be interned in the cemetery with my parents, which is where he’s so long to be, because when they passed away, it hurt him to his very soul,” Margolis said.
As months passed, Margolis said the family was unable to find closure.
“I just want to get his ashes back, set them to rest, you know, and have some closure,” she said.
The family eventually turned to 25 Investigates for help.
25 Investigates visited the funeral home and the family said they were able to pick up Stephen’s cremated remains that same day.
A representative for Sheehan Funeral Home apologized for the delay and said it was never the funeral home’s intention to withhold the remains. The representative attributed the situation to poor communication and conflicting schedules.
The funeral home declined an on-camera interview.
Now, nearly nine months after Stephen’s funeral service, his family says they finally have the closure they had been seeking.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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